Baby shoe identification means



March 26, 1963 s sCHWARTZ ETAL 3,082,556

BABY SHOE IDENTIFICATION MEANS Filed Aug. 16, 1962 2 SheetsSheet 1INVENTOB SAUL SCHWARTZ BY BERNARD SCHWARTZ March 26, 1963 s. SCHWARTZETAL 3,

BABY SHOE IDENTIFICATION MEANS Filed Aug. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheec 2 AT7'OF? NE Y States nite This invention relates to baby shoes and moreparticularly to a new and useful improvement in baby shoe identificationmeans.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a babys shoe withidentification means inscribed on the sole thereof.

Another object is to provide an identification means which is clear inoutline, attractive in appearance, permanent in character, and whichincreases the useful life and wear of the shoe.

A still further object is to provide a baby shoe with identificationindicia inscribed thereon and protected by a transparent shoe insertwhich is flexible, durable, and increases the useful life of the shoe.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a baby shoe embodying one form of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on theplane of line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of a baby shoe embodying anotber form ofthe invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 44 ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a plate insert employed in theembodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view et part of the plate insert of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a die in an inverted position which maybe used in inscribing identification indicia according to the invention.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are sectional views on an enlarged scale, similar to FIG.4, illustrating other embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an insert plate employed in theembodiment of FIG. 9.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a baby shoe10 having an upper 11 secured to an outer sole 12. The upper 11 and sole12 have inturned peripheral edges 14, 16 secured together by stitching18. An inner sole 26 may be secured by a suitable cernent layer 21 tothe inner side of sole 20. On its outer side, the sole has a rectangularrecess 22. In the upper face 24 of the recess are impressed or inscribedgrooves 26 which spell out the name of the baby who Wears the shoe. Thegrooves are filled with shiny gold or other metallic colored paint 28,so that the identification indicia are clearly defined on the bottom ofthe shoe.

When the baby wears the shoe, the identification indicia are recessedwithin the outer surface of the sole and thus held out of contact Withthe ground, floor or other surface upon which the bottom of the sole 12rests when the baby walks.

In FIG. 7 is shown a die 30 which may be used to impress the groove 26into the sole 12. The die has a hardened rectangular steel face plate 32formed with script type 34 which is a mirror image of the groove 26. Theface 32 is secured to a cast iron base 38 from which extends a shaft 40.The shaft can be engaged in a suit- 3,82,55fi Patented Man. 26, 1953able press and the shoe can be held inverted in a suitable jig (notshown) While the die is forced down on the outer surface of the sole.The face plate will impress the recess 22 While the type 32 will impressthe grooves 26.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 is shown baby shoe 10 This shoe has an outer sole 12secured to upper 11 by stitching 18 A rectangular recess 22 is formed inthe outer side of the sole. Grooves 26 are formed in the recessed side24 of the sole. These grooves are filled with shiny metallic paint 28 tocomplete the identification indicia. The recess and groove may be formedby a die or dies similar to die 30.

The entire peripheral edge 23 of the recess 22 is undercut all aroundthe recess. The edge may be undercut by a suitable routing tool afterthe recess is formed. After the edge 23 is undercut, a rectangular plate42 having a peripheral beveled edge 44 can be forced into the recess.Since the sole is formed of flexible and somewhat elastic leather therecessed edge 23 yields to permit the plate 42 to be inserted andsecurely held by the undercut edge 23 which abuts the beveled edge 44;sec FIGS. 3-6.

Plate 42 is a fiat transparent member formed of tough, plastic materialsuch as vinyl, an acrylic or the like. Its resistance to wear issubstantially the same or greater than that of the leather of the sole.The plate is somewhat flexible like the leather sole. The outer narroweror smaller side 45 of the plate is flush with the outer side 12' of thesole 12 The metallic indicia 28 are readily visible through thetransparent window defined by plate 42. The plate 42 increases theuseful life of the shoe by imparting increased wear to the sole 12 InFIG. 8, the structure of shoe 10 is similar to shoe ll0 andcorresponding parts are identically numbered. In shoe 10, the side 24.of recess 22 is coated With a colored paint layer 48. The metallicindicia 28 are impressed into grooves 26 in layer 48. Plate 42 isinserted into the recess 22** and is held by interengagement of undercutedge 23 with beveled edge 44.

In FIG. 9, the shoe 10 is similar to shoe 10 and corresponding parts areidentically numbered. The indicia grooves 26 are formed in the larger,inner side 50 of transparent plate 42 and this groove is filled Withmetallic paint 28 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The plate is held in therecess by engagement et beveled edge 44 With recessed edge 23. The side24 et the recess 22 may be painted With a coating 52 having a colorcontrasting with that of metallic paint 28.

In all forms of the invention, there are provided protected, recessedidentification indicia including inscribed grooves filled with metallicpaint which contrasts in appearance with the adjacent parts of the soleand sole recess in which the indicia appear.

The indicia are easily applied and are permanent in character, so thatlong after the baby has ceased wearing the shoe, the shoe can be keptfor sentimental purposes and will be identified by the indicia inscribedtherein.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of ourinvention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we daim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

1. A baby shoe having an outer sole, said sole having a shallow recessformed in its outer side, said recess having an exposed side withgrooves theren defining identification indicia, metallic coloredmaterial in the grooves,

and a transparent plate in the recess, said plate having an enter sidecoplanar and flush with the outer side of the sole, said plate having aninner side abutting the exposed side of the recess, said recess having aperipheral undercut edge, said plate having a beveled edge engaged Withsaid undercut edg t0 retain the plate in the recess, said sole and platehaving substantially the same flexibility so that the plate remains inthe recess when the sole is. flexed.

2. A baby shoe having an outer sole, said sole hav-. ing a shallowrecess formed in its duter side, said recess having a sideparallel tosaid outer side of the sole, a colored coating covering said side of therecess, said coating having grooves therein defining identificationindica, colored material in said grooves, the color of sald materialcontrasting With the color of said coating, and a transparent plate inthe recess, said plate having an outer side coplanar and flush With theouter side of the sole, said plate having an iner side abutting thecoating, said recess having a peripheral undercnt edge, said platehaving a beveled edge engaged with saidunclercut edge t0 retain theplate in the recess, said sole and plate having substantially the samefiexibility so that the plate remains in the recess when the sole isflexed.

3. A baby shoe having an outer sole, .said sole hav- 1'ng a shallowrecess formed in its outer side, said recess having a side parallel tosaid outer side of the sole, a colored coating covering said side of therecess, a transparent plate in the recess, said plate having an outerside coplanar and flush with the outer side of the sole, said platehaving an inner side abutting the coating, said inner side of the platehaving grooves therein defining identification indieia, and metalliccolored material in said grooves, the color of said materal contrastingwith the color of said coating, said recess having a peripheral undercutedge, said plate having a beveled edge engaged witl1 said undercut edgeto retain the plate in the recess.

References Citez! in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSGoldsteln June 21, 1949 2,720,713 Schwartz et al Oct. 18, 1955

1. A BABY SHOE HAVING AN OUTER SOLE, SAID SOLE HAVING A SHALLOW RECESSFORMED IN ITS OUTER SIDE, SAID RECESS HAVING AN EXPOSED SIDE WITHGROOVES THEREIN DEFINING IDENTIFICATION INDICIA, METALLIC COLOREDMATERIAL IN THE GROOVES, AND A TRANSPARENT PLATE IN THE RECESS, SAIDPLATE HAVING AN OUTER SIDE COPLANAR AND FLUSH WITH THE OUTER SIDE OF THESOLE, SAID PLATE HAVING AN INNER SIDE ABUTTING THE EXPOSED SIDE OF THERECESS, SAID RECESS HAVING A PERIPHERAL UNDERCUT EDGE, SAID PLATE HAVINGA BEVELED EDGE ENGAGED WITH SAID UNDERCUT EDGE TO RETAIN THE PLATE INTHE RECESS, SAID SOLE AND PLATE HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAMEFLEXIBILITY SO THAT THE PLATE REMAINS IN THE RECESS WHEN THE SOLE ISFLEXED.